They all call me an Outer God.

Chapter 169 The Real Black-Hearted Merchant

The priest's expression twisted for a moment, but Ria was still full of doubt: "Why? Are you not even going to give me this little chance to atone for my sins?"
Or are you reselling indulgences, charging two hundred each, and refusing to let me in because I don't have the money...? That's against the rules!

"No, no, no, child, you misunderstand. We don't sell indulgences, nor do we charge any extra fees. But the Rising Sun Bible says that those who have lost their sight do not need to go to the confessional. They cannot see anything in this world. It is the world that owes you a confession."

So you're going to give me money?

“There is no such rule—cough cough, I mean, the confessional is a place of inertia. You should go to the hall and tell the archbishop what you want to confess, and he will purify your soul.”

Ria still didn't quite understand what the church was doing, and he stood there and refused to leave. In the end, it was only after the pastor gave him a handful of Swartz and pleaded with him that he was finally persuaded to leave.

Pastors are used to meeting all sorts of people in church.

He even helped Ria find his way, fearing she might get lost, which undoubtedly made Ria realize the benefits of being blind.

They went to the hall, where the bright stained glass windows reflected the sunlight outside onto the thousands of gems at the top, and the floor was so clean that it reflected the colorful images. The entire interior of the building was incredibly sacred and magnificent.

The archbishop stood on a high place, holding a thick book, while below him sat a group of special people with physical ailments, listening to the great man sing praises to the sun and to suffering.

He said that the current suffering is a test brought to people by the sun. These people were holy angels in their previous lives. The reason they are suffering so much in this life is for spiritual practice. After they die, they will enjoy a better bliss and return to the embrace of the sun.

"Children, none of this is your fault. You are greater than anyone else. You are the sun's favorites. But no one likes suffering, and the Lord cannot bear to see you suffer."

So He told me to save you, and He sent me.

Now throw your possessions into this box, and let the sun purify your sins…

As soon as Ria approached, he heard these words. He saw the ornately dressed archbishop holding up a box and having the disabled people put money into it. He immediately tapped the floor twice with his cane in disdain.

"And you even said you don't sell indulgences."

"This is not an indulgence, it is purification."

The pastor spoke with immense pride. He led Ria over to let him listen to the archbishop's sermon with the others, while he himself left, citing other matters.

When someone got up to pay, Lia didn't move. When asked, he said he couldn't see it and didn't even know what the money looked like.

Those people can't really make things difficult for him and force him to pay money.

He wasn't the only one standing motionless like this; the other person was a man in a wheelchair, his legs covered with a thick cotton-padded coat, looking out of place in the still-hot weather.

He seemed somewhat surprised when he looked at Ria.

"You don't look like a poor person."

"Who's speaking?" Ria turned his head to look around. The person coughed twice, and then the young man turned his head to him.

"Listen, young man, I went out without any money. Could you lend me some to pay for my indulgences?"

"But they said they wouldn't sell indulgences."

"Aren't they all the same?"

The man patted his leg: "My legs aren't very strong. I just turned around twice at the church and then I was inexplicably pushed to this place."

I do respect the sun, that's true, but I'm broke. Does that mean people who are broke can't even respect God?

"..." Ria put himself in God's shoes. If he were God, he certainly wouldn't want people without money to come and contact him.

However, he considered himself a very kind person, so when a stranger asked to borrow money, he still took out a piece of paper and asked how much the person needed and when they would repay it. "No way, you're actually lending me the money? Aren't you afraid I'm a scammer?"

"I think you should be more worried that I'm a loan shark."

"Haha, just based on what you said, you're definitely not one of those mentally ill loan sharks. I'll take this ten taels."

Without hesitation, the man took Ria's money and paid the "stupidity tax." Then he introduced himself to Ria: "My name is Ivand. I won't say my surname; it's too long for anyone to remember."

“Ria Kercha”.

Ria shook hands with the other person as if they were acquaintances. Ivand was very curious about how Ria had gone blind, and Ria made up a story to fool him.

He didn't ask about the other person's leg, but Ivand told everyone as if he wanted everyone to know that his leg was broken while saving someone, and that there was a rather long and rather great story behind it, but no one wanted to hear it.

Poor Ivand was about to say something when a group of people told him to shut up.

He scratched his head in frustration.

"Does nobody really want to hear this?"

"You've told your story so many times, I hear you telling stories every time I come to church, I've memorized them all—"

You crashed into a cursed steam monster while trying to save your friend, and lost both your legs forever. I've told you so many times it was a car, not some monster.

"That's a monster! If it weren't a monster, why would it roam the streets and eat people?"

“Barbarian, you are a barbarian! I can’t believe you live in the present and not hundreds of years ago.”

The group of people, each with their own physical defects, began to argue, while the archbishop, having already collected enough money, left the scene under the pretext of allowing everyone to debate freely.

Lia watched his retreating figure, lost in thought.

While the people around her were still arguing, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, Ria quietly left to follow the archbishop, and then watched him walk to a room and knock on the wooden door.

"Bang bang bang."

"Squeak—" The door opened from the inside, and a voluptuous, daringly dressed, hot woman stood in front of the door, looking left and right. After confirming that no one was around, she wrapped her arms around the archbishop like a snake and leaned her soft body forward.

The two kissed passionately.

They then entered the room.

Ria felt very angry.

He never expected that these clergymen would be like this, with a rotten core hidden within a sacred and magnificent palace, and a beautiful woman in the high and mighty archbishop's house.

It is not uncommon for people to deceive disabled people and take their money to support their lovers; in fact, the current practice is even more reasonable.

In Winstown, he had seen people arresting young children, both boys and girls, and sending them all to the Pope's room; in fact, boys were even more popular than girls.

"It seems that the title of black market dealers is more appropriate for them."

Compared to these people, Ria felt it was absurd that she could appear so conscientious.

(End of this chapter)